Leaders of civil society organizations involved in the observation of election last Sunday: National Council of Observation (CNO), the Haitian Council of Non State Actors (CONHANE) and the Civil Society Initiative (ISC) have described as illegal the decision of Provisional Electoral Council (CEP) taken Sunday evening, prohibiting the publication of voting trends before the official publication of the preliminary results [March 31].

Noel Laguerre of the National Council of Observation (CNO) asserts that "This is not a legal decision". However, in order to collaborate with the CEP and avoid misinterpretation, he indicated that his institution will not release information on this subject.

Rosny Desroche, director of the Civil Society Initiative (ISC), also qualifies as illegal the measure of the CEP to ban any publication of trends, noting that "the electoral law does not prohibit the publication of voting trends" recalling that "the minutes of the counts are public because they are displayed in the the voting centers."

Edouard Paultre, Responsible of the Haitian Council of Non State Actors (CONHANE) advised that "it is an unusual decision without legal basis". He recalled that around the world, trends are known only a few hours after the close of the polling stations. According to him, if the results are displayed, trends can be known and published.

It is good to clarify that vote trends, are representative only: if they are in relation with the number of polling stations concerned, the number of voters and the percentage that these data represent on the total of the electorate at the national level.

HL/ HaitiLibre